


Mortal City

by Beltenebra



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment, KAT-TUN (Band), Kanjani8 (Band), Kis-My-Ft2 (Band), NewS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Detectives, Drug Dealing, Drugged Sex, Dubious Consent, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Multi, Organized Crime, Threesome - M/M/M, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 01:55:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8691901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beltenebra/pseuds/Beltenebra
Summary: Temptation lurks in the shadows of the mortal city.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1: Sho contemplates business - Junno misplaces his trust - Koyama and Shige take on a case.

More often than not, if he wasn't down in the lab, he could be found at his desk immersed in paperwork. Ninomiya constantly chided him for meddling, claiming that he should be concentrating on his forte, the formulas and compounds that fueled their business, and let him handle the finances. He had a point. It was what Sho had hired him to do. Though the cold clarity of chemistry was where he felt most comfortable, Sho liked to keep his hand in all aspects of his operation. He liked to look at the numbers, wanted to have a clear picture of how they were doing. Nino humored him by providing a seemingly endless stream of data; charts and figures, facts and projections.

Sales remained steady despite the economy. He supposed that was one of the major advantages of his industry. He liked to think that he and his team were in the business of making themselves indispensable. When pressed, he would tell people either that he was a chemist or that he was in marketing. Both were equally true. When he was feeling especially ironic, he would reply that he was in the business of making people happy. For a time at least.

He was halfway through a summary of their sales figures for the college sector. Ohno was doing well this quarter and Sho wondered how long he could get away with keeping the sweet-faced man in this particular school without it looking suspicious. The man had genuine artistic talent and he had mentioned that some of his professors had started to gently suggest that he start applying for grants and exhibitions. Thankfully, Ohno had a startling lack of ambition, at least when it came to his sculpture. He was happy to continue as he was, splitting his time between the studio and his part-time job. Sho was sure that Ninomiya had a great deal to do with how content Ohno was with his work. Nino had the artist wrapped around his little finger which was good for everyone involved. Ohno was good at what he did; he was not at all threatening and he could connect with the student crowd on a wavelength that none of Sho's other people could duplicate. The college crowd was a perfect venue for their softer products, pot of course, but also a wider range of hallucinogens. It was very easy indeed to convince those art students that chemical enhancement opened the gateway to "true artistic vision", that acid would turn them from ordinary kids into visionaries, that it would give them an edge in the ever-competitive art scene. History only supported their cause and Ohno never failed to play up the bohemian angle, making sure to insinuate that a little rebellion was necessary to be "real". But not too much rebellion, just enough to make them feel edgy without getting them into serious trouble. It wouldn't do for their clients to get arrested or expelled, anything that would stop the steady flow of mommy and daddy's money.

The real irony was that Ohno never worked under the influence. He was genuinely talented, something that the majority of those spoiled kids could never duplicate. But it didn't stop them from trying. Ohno drifted through various circles and people envied the ease of his creative process. It was all too easy for him to sell them on vague promises of vision granted through chemical enlightenment.

Sho stopped and stretched the cricks out of his back, it was past three, long enough for some of their favored haunts to close and he was expecting Aiba in sometime in the next few hours. He liked to keep tabs on all of his people but Aiba had been with him practically since the beginning and Sho kept him very close. Besides which, Aiba had acquired a new distraction that he claimed was the perfect chance to test Sho's newest product and he was eager to see the results.

As if summoned by his thoughts, he heard the bright, distinctive sound of breathy laughter in the hallway that could only be Aiba. He pushed his chair back and circled around to lean against the front of his desk as Aiba slunk into the room. Aiba moved like an animal. More often than not said animal was an overexcited puppy; but when he was working, when he was on, he walked like a predator. Sho had sat in the shadows of so many clubs watching with pleasure as his partner prowled the room with jungle cat grace collecting covetous glances and propositions.

The taller man's lips were curled up in a smile, Sho could tell he was very pleased with himself and he was flooded with the familiar sensation of desire tinged with the expectation of good news. Aiba had been followed into the study by another person but he was hanging back, wrapped up in the shadows cast by the glow of his desk lamp and Sho was happy to be patient and let Aiba reveal his results at his own pace.

"Sho-chan," Aiba's voice was low and mellow in Sho's ear as he leaned in to nuzzle his nose against Sho's jaw.

Sho let his hands rest lightly on Aiba's hips and pulled back just enough to look Aiba in the eyes, smiling softly. "It's been a few days. I've missed you, Masaki."

Aiba pressed their lips together in a warm but brief kiss and leaned back, his smile blossoming into a grin. "I know, but I'm back."

"Welcome home" Sho interrupted automatically.

"And it was time well spent," he leaning in his voice dropping an octave, gone dark and husky, and Sho could feel a warm pressure against his hip, could feel Aiba buzzing with the right kind of tension. "I've brought a present."

Sho chuckled, "I have no illusions that whoever you brought with you is solely for me, Masaki."

He could feel Aiba's grin against his neck and he tilted his head back to give Aiba better access, enjoying the teasing pressure of lips on soft skin. "You're right, Sho-chan. But I know how to share. Besides," Aiba looked down at him, eyes sparking, "you wanted the results of the first trials, ne? I thought it would be best to show you in person."

"You mean 'more fun'."

"Of course! But it will be fun for both of us, I promise." Aiba's voice was still soft but it acquired a more firm note of command, "Come here, Junno."

Sho looked up, past Aiba's soft silk-clad shoulder, as a lanky figure stepped closer into the light, stopping just a few feet from them. Sho took his time looking, analyzing, storing away information for future use. He was taller even than Aiba, by a few inches, with fine-boned features, dark hair feathering down over his forehead and into his eyes; he was willowy, built like a model, all long limbs. He was young, lovely, and frightened. He was a study in contradictions, his dark eyes were wide and nervous while his stance was relaxed, almost languid. Sho could only approve of Aiba's choice of test subject for the last trial run of their newest designer drug.

He had been working on it for months, tweaking the formula until it was perfect. He wanted it to be the ultimate addiction. Something that made you fly but brought you down slowly, no messy crash. Something that made you feel euphoric and powerful but not overly aggressive. Something that loosened inhibitions but didn't dramatically alter your basic personality. Something poisonously addictive. He had finally gotten a product that looked like it was going to work and this would be his best creation yet, people would come crawling for it. He called it Sunshine.

Aiba plastered himself to Sho's side and beckoned the boy closer, "Sho-chan, this is Taguchi Junnosuke; Junno-kun. I met him about two weeks ago in Ginza, we're quite good friends now."

Sho arched an eyebrow and Junno shivered a little under his scrutiny. Aiba worked the high class clubs and expensive bars and did it well. It wasn't just that he was beautiful and clever and well-dressed, although he was all of those things. . . he had some ineffable quality that drew people to him. He put people at ease without trying, made you want to trust him. When you talked to Aiba, you wanted nothing more than to make him smile and he was never shy about telling you what would make him happy. Aiba worked with all kinds of people; from yakuza thugs to bored housewives to rock stars and their glittering entourages, but he tended to have a favored type. Usually they were a little younger than him, well spoken, sons and daughters of families that were well off but not so rich that the kids were impossibly spoiled; he liked genuinely nice people best. This kid seemed to fit right into that group, standing there silently waiting, head bowed patiently though he was clearly high as a kite.

Of course Aiba was fucking the kid. He slept with most of his favorite clients, he considered it a perk. Sho didn't mind sharing Aiba with their little corner of the world. He was busy and it kept Aiba happy, kept him in prime working condition. And in the end, no matter how close they were or how good they were, in their business promises were more than a little naive. But they were partners and Aiba always came back to him, sometimes with company.

Sho smiled and Aiba went to stand behind Junno with his hands on the kid's shoulders, walking him forward until he stood close enough for Sho to reach out and touch. "It's nice to meet you Junno-kun. My name is Sakurai Sho. How do you do?"

Aiba had started letting his hands roam a bit, one trailing up Junno's neck, the other pushing his shirt up a bit to slide over the skin right above his belt. Aiba's touch had the kid trembling but he kept his eyes locked onto Sho's, "I'm well. I'm, ah, very pleased to meet you, Sakurai-san."

He had a hard time keeping his grin from going predatory, the polite conversation in this setting sent a streak of heat directly to his groin. "How are you feeling, Junno? Is Aiba-chan taking good care of you?"

Junno's eyes went a little glassy as Aiba slid his hand down the kid's pants, stroking just lightly enough to keep the kid on edge, his speech more than a little colored by pleasure, "I, I feel good. _Really_ good."

Aiba spoke directly into Junno's ear but they were close enough that Sho could hear every whispered word, "What do you think about showing Sho-chan exactly how good you feel, Junno? How do you feel about getting down on your knees and sucking his cock?"

The boy's eyes snapped open wide and Sho could tell the idea was still surprising even in this setting. Here in this dark basement with dangerous men, drugs coursing through his veins like sweet golden sunlight, he was still taken aback by the thought of being fucked by them. Sho could see why Aiba liked this one so much, his innocence was heady. "I- _god_ I... is that what you want, Aiba-san?"

Aiba was already reaching around the kid with his other hand, the one not stroking Junno's cock, to unbuckle Sho's belt,"I want you to show Sho-chan exactly how good you feel. He's the reason you can feel like this you know. You should show your appreciation." Sho just leaned back with his arms crossed and let Aiba run the show. Nimble fingers pushed the material of his pants aside and Sho let them fall to the floor. Junno's hands were still at his sides, clenched into nervous fists and Sho reached out to take Junno's shoulders, pushing him gently but firmly down to his knees. Aiba chuckled darkly and stepped forward, finally kissing Sho properly. Sho heard an intake of breath and through slitted eyes he saw the kid watching them, eyes hazy with desire and trepidation.

Aiba pushed away from him with a breathless little giggle and slid gracefully down to his knees behind Junno. Sho reached down and cupped the kid's face, brushing his thumb over the high cheekbone and down over soft lips which parted at his touch. He slid his hand back into dark, silky hair and guided Junno's head forward. The kid closed his eyes when his lips touched Sho's cock, he seemed very unsure of himself and Sho would bet good money that he hadn't really had any experience with men before he met Aiba. But his mouth was hot and wet and the sight of him down on his knees with Aiba behind him had Sho rock hard.

Junno moaned around his mouthful and Sho saw that Aiba had the kid's pants down and a few fingers inside of him. Aiba pulled Junno's hips back at a better angle, forcing him to brace his hands on Sho's thighs to keep his balance. His face was flushed and Sho wondered if the shame of letting himself be used like this heightened his pleasure. Junno tensed up and Aiba was hissing low under his breath as he pushed into the kid, slow and steady. "Ah, he's still pretty new to this. He's so tight."

A few moments passed and he and Aiba established a rhythm that worked, pushing Junno forward into Sho, back onto Aiba's cock. The kid was clearly lost in a cloud of sensation, eyes closed and helpless moans muffled. Aiba must have been pretty worked up because it didn't take him long to lose it, Sho watched his face contort with bliss, enjoyed his throaty groan as he emptied himself into the kid. He pulled out but didn't move away, finally wrapping a hand around Junno's cock and stroking him properly. Sho took the opportunity to tighten his hold in the kid's hair, fucking his mouth, _god, he was close_. He came with his eyes locked onto Aiba's bright gaze, barely registering the sounds of Junno finishing as well. He gently disengaged himself and Aiba pulled the kid back against his chest, murmuring in his ear.

Aiba grinned up at Sho who couldn't help but smile back, "I'll talk to him some more later about the effects of the drug but so far things look very good. Excellent work, Masaki."

He pulled up his pants as Aiba led the kid over to the couch to curl up around him. He could just make out the soft tones of Aiba's voice as he ran his hand through the boy's hair, "You did very well, Junno. Good boy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"He was always such a good boy." the woman sniffled into her handkerchief.

Kato rubbed his forehead, he hated when people cried in his office. He really didn't like to take missing persons cases. He had found that if the police had already dismissed the case for not having enough cause or too little information, there was usually very little they could do about it. While it was true that private detectives had connections at their disposal that police didn't, the police tended to have far greater resources.

What _he_ had was a partner with a soft spot a mile wide for anyone who needed help with pretty much anything. Most of their cases dealt with things like fraud and infidelity. They did surveillance, they took pictures, it was clear-cut business. From the sounds of it, this case was as murky as they came.

He let Koyama make the couple tea and try to calm the mother down while he reviewed the bare bones of the case in his head. The Taguchi family was firmly upper middle class, financially comfortable, although they had some familial connections to big money. They had three girls and one boy, the baby of the family. The boy, Junnosuke, had been close with his maternal grandfather who had set him up with a sizable trust fund. Shortly after said trust fund matured Taguchi-kun started spending less and less time at home, and a few weeks later, disappeared entirely.

Now, the mother swore up and down that he was a well behaved child, that he never had any dangerous habits and never got into trouble but you could never take the parents' word about the character of their children. Kato recalled one memorable case in which a hysterical mother hired them to find her "precious baby girl" because she was sure the girl had been kidnapped, there was no other possible reason for her daughter to stop calling her. It was fairly easy to track down phone records that showed plainly that the girl had married and moved to Hokkaido, the mother hadn't approved of the marriage and daughter had informed her in no uncertain terms that she wasn't going to be speaking with her mother until the woman could come to terms with the girl's husband. The mother had been less than pleased with their findings. Thankfully, she had payed in advance.

There was no way to tell what the kid's actual relationship with his parents was like and the money issue made it kind of fishy. It was possible that the kid had voluntarily left his family life. The parents hadn't received any kind of ransom note, so it probably wasn't kidnapping. But, Kato reminded himself, they weren't required to actually bring the kid back. All they needed to do to satisfy the requirements of the case was get hard evidence of where the kid was and what he was doing. Once they had that, it was up to the family to decide how to proceed.

He caught Koyama's eye and gave him a subtle nod, indicating that he thought the case was viable. He could tell Koyama was pleased, his partner didn't smile outright but he practically radiated satisfaction, now allowed to assure the parents that they would be doing their utmost to get them the information they wanted.

An hour later the parents were gone and they could discuss their approach to the case. His lanky partner paced the floor between their desks ticking ideas off on his fingers while Kato took notes.

"Right, we should talk to the sisters for sure. Much as I hate to admit it, parents often have a skewed perception of their children. The sisters might have seen completely different sides of Taguchi-kun."

"I agree, but he's hasn't really been living with the family for a while now... didn't they say he had an apartment and a roommate?"

"Yes! He was living near his university with one of his childhood friends." Koyama padded over to his desk to check the file he had put together while talking to the parents, "Ohkura Tadayoshi, they had been friends since primary school."

Their eyes met and they nodded simultaneously, "We'll start with the roommate and go from there."

Koyama's looked more worried than usual, at Kato's questioning glance he elaborated, "I really want to help these people; I have kind of a bad feeling about this one."

That did nothing to quell the uneasiness churning in the pit of Kato's stomach, Koyama usually had a pretty good general sense of how cases were likely to go. But he smoothed a comforting hand over his partner's shoulder, "We'll do our best Koyama. We always do."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temptation lurks in the shadows of the mortal city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2: Ohkura tells a story - Ryo gets his marching orders - Yokoyama is entertained.

The address they were given was in a quiet neighborhood near Taguchi-kun's university. The building was well kept, if a little old. They ran into the land lady in the entry hall and Koyama took a few minutes to say hello. She was a kind-looking woman in her earlier fifties, her face lined with smile lines. But she wasn't smiling when Koyama introduced himself and Kato and told her they were hoping to talk to Taguchi Junnosuke.

"I don't think he is here, dear. We haven't seen him for quite a while. It's October now and the last time I remember speaking with Junno-kun, he was helping me clear the first of the fall leaves. He is such a nice boy, I've spoken with his parents and I can't imagine him getting into trouble." Her eyes were sad but she seemed to smile despite herself, "He would come over for tea with his roommate, Ohkura-kun, and tell the worst jokes..." She bowed low before them, "Please let me know if you find him."

Kato thanked her and shot Koyama a look that clearly told him not to make promises they couldn't keep. He knew that, of course. It would be worse to give her hope now only to dash it with the results of their investigation. They made their way to the apartment and Koyama straightened his shoulders, it was time to talk to the roommate.

The door was answered on their second knock by a tall young man in jeans and a t-shirt. His hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, his face was serious and he slouched a bit, careless of his beauty. When a quick glance at Shige confirmed that he was letting Koyama take the lead on this interview, he pulled out his badge and smiled reassuringly when the boy's eyes went wide.

"Good afternoon, are you Ohkura Tadayoshi?"

"Are you more police? Am I in trouble?"

"Not at all, we just need to talk to you, ask you a few questions." The boy still hesitated and Koyama was glad, if he was intelligent enough to be suspicious he might be able to give them some solid direction. But they did need to get the kid to talk. "We're working with the Taguchi family, we were actually sent here by your friend's parents." He let his eyes go soft and understanding, "We were hoping you could help us try to help Taguchi-kun."

The boy nodded and stepped back, waving them in, "Right. Of course, come in detectives."

They sat down on a comfortably broken-in sofa and took stock of the apartment while Ohkura got tea. The place was only slightly shabby, it was bigger than what Koyama would have picked for a student apartment. It was slightly messy, the stacks of video games and music magazines making it clear that it was more than likely a boy's apartment.

Ohkura set a tray down on the table in front of them then sat himself down in a cross-legged sprawl, "So how would you like to do this? I'm not really sure how much you know..."

Kato flipped his notebook open, pen poised, "Why don't you just start at the beginning and we'll ask questions as they come up."

"Ok." Ohkura looked down at his folded hands and Koyama felt his heart constrict painfully, imagining what the young man must be feeling. "Junno and I have known each other forever, well, since we were about twelve. We met at an audition for this children's summer theater program. I didn't stick with it, I was too lazy but Junno really loved it. Anyway, we lived near each other and we stayed good friends all through junior high and high school. We were pretty inseparable. After a while I got into music and Junno decided he wanted to dance, he's really talented. So we both applied to the arts program at our college."

Halfway through his explanation, Ohkura had picked up a long, thin stick and started twirling it absentmindedly. Koyama looked over towards the windows where a drum kit was on prominent display and made the connection, "You play the drums, Ohkura-kun?"

He smiled a bit, "Yeah. I'm a jazz drummer, but in school my concentration is music engineering... like studying what makes music good, makes people want to listen to it."

Shige nodded and then got them back on track, "So, you and Junno have been sharing this apartment for a while?"

"Yeah, we got it when we first started going to school. So we've been here for about a year and a half now I guess."

"And how long has it been since you've seen him?"

Ohkura's brow furrowed, he answered instantly, "It's been nearly four weeks since he disappeared completely."

Koyama leaned forward and added softly, "Did something put of the ordinary happen? Do you have any ideas where he might be?"

The young man had dropped his eyes again, "Junno's family always made sure he was comfortable, you know, he had enough money for school and they gave him rent money. They wanted him to spend his time practicing, not at some part-time job. But he had this trust fund, and he finally got full access to it about a month ago." Ohkura chuckled but it was a dry, brittle sound, "We celebrated with extra cheese on the pizza and a case of beer. We had always been low-key guys, you know? But Junno said we should do it right, hit the town, that kind of thing. So we were supposed to go to this classy club in Ginza."

Shige met Koyama's eyes and they nodded, this could be very useful information. Shige asked, "Do you remember the name of the club?"

Ohkura kept his eyes down but Koyama saw his intertwined hands tighten and there was a subtle catch in his voice as he replied, "I really don't. Something having to do with heaven, or angels maybe?"

Koyama raised an eyebrow at Shige and he pressed the issue like an old bruise, "Do you have any receipts or valet tickets? If you used a credit card we can track it that way-"

"I wasn't there!"

The cry was anguished and it pulled Shige up short, Koyama's eyes snapped open and Ohkura looked up at him with the beginnings of tears in his eyes as he elaborated, "I was sick, I couldn't go. But we had a reservation, so Junno went without me."

Koyama's voice was gentle, much as he hated to push the boy, it was clear he had information they needed. "Did something happen to him that night?"

"He came back really late, we never stayed out late. I mean, we stayed up playing games and stuff but we didn't stay out late. He didn't come back until the next afternoon and he was... off. He was acting really strange, he said he met a lot of fun people... I just assumed he was shitfaced, you know, just really drunk. But he was still out of it the next day, like he was high on something. And then he started going back, to that club... and to some other ones. He kept trying to get me to go and I would try to talk him into staying home. That went on for about a week, I finally confronted him about it. I was worried about his new 'friends' and his new hobbies, but he wasn't interested in listening, he shut me out. We had a fight, the only fight we've ever had."

Ohkura's voice had gone very quiet and Koyama could see that he was shaking very slightly, his knuckles white from keeping his hands clenched in his lap. Koyama knew right then that Ohkura was in love with his roommate. Ohkura was devastated and Koyama could tell he was blaming himself, his heart ached for him.

"The next day he was gone, he had just packed a bag and left."

And at this point, he couldn't not go to the kid, Koyama found himself on the floor with an arm around Ohkura's shoulders while the he cried into Koyama's coat. Shige gave him a mildly annoyed look that he was pretty sure meant that Shige had a lot more questions and he knew Koyama wasn't going to let him ask them right now. Shige was correct. Koyama shook his head with a disappointed little frown.

A few minutes passed, Ohkura sniffled and pulled away, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Koyama patted his shoulder, "It's fine, Ohkura-kun. This is an exceptionally hard situation to deal with. But I think you did all you could for him then. And talking to you will help us now as well."

Shige handed the kid one of their cards, "Please call us any time if you remember anything else that might be helpful. Anything about the club, the people Junno was meeting, anything. The smallest details could turn out to be very important."

"I will." The kid replied fervently and Koyama believed him. "We've got to find him."

Koyama just nodded and they headed out. A club in Ginza, drug use, and some shady characters... well, they had done quite a bit with less in the past.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryo's head snapped up from his business report at the sound of a knock on his door.

"Waka*, the Boss wants to see you." Murakami's voice through the wood was soft but firm, the 'right away' heavily implied.

Anything his father needed to speak with him about at this time of night couldn't be good. He set his papers down and opened the door to find Murakami standing at attention in the hall. He set off towards his father's study, Murakami falling in step just behind him. "Any idea what's going on? It would be nice not to be completely blindsided by whatever this is."

Murakami seemed to be in a good enough mood, although with him it could mean that he was going to have the opportunity for righteous violence just as easily as it could mean that everything was fine. With Murakami, you could never quite tell. "I only know that it's nothing we did." Ryo could hear Murakami's crooked smile over his shoulder, "I don't think you're in trouble with the Boss."

Yokoyama was waiting just outside of the study, his expression gave nothing away but his quick nod at Ryo's raised eyebrow told him that Yoko didn't know what was going on either. Now Ryo was nearly positive this would be more of a briefing than a dressing down.

He opened the door and bowed his head slightly to his father as Yoko and Murakami took up positions behind him, to either side of the door. His father looked up at his entrance and waved him over to one of the worn leather chairs before the desk.

"There's a situation, potentially very serious." The old man certainly didn't beat around the bush.

He scowled and shot a quick glance at Yoko who was more his eyes and ears than anyone else in the family. Yokoyama responded with a minuscule twist of his lips and the barest shrug. He felt a little better. If Yoko hadn't heard anything about it yet, it meant his father had been keeping whatever this was close to the chest.

It had been just over a year since the old man called him in to tell him he was considering retirement, stepping down and turning the clan over to Ryo. He had taken over nearly all of the aspects of running the syndicate, supervising the business deals, negotiating with other clans and politicians, balancing their interests in their home city of Osaka and distant Tokyo, duties he had been groomed for since childhood. But it seemed there were still a few secrets the titular clan-head was keeping for himself.

"What is it, father?"

The old man looked stern but calm, "For the past year or so I've been receiving reports of a group trying to gain a foothold in some of our territory in Tokyo."

"Is it another family? A new family or an older clan making a move on us?" Now would be a good time for another clan to try to expland their territory while the Nishikido family was transferring power, seemingly vulnerable. His breath caught in his throat as his mind shuffled through rival clan heads and who might consider a power play. Could it be- ...no, he was comfortable, his clan well established. Although some of their land in Tokyo bordered right up against his, he wouldn't dream of it, that would require personal contact of some sort.

"No." He jerked his head up to meet his father's eyes, luckily the old man seemed content to wait while Ryo ran through the options in his head. He nodded indicating that the older man should continue.

"They're certainly organized, but they're not a family. No, this is a group of an entirely different nature. We're certain now that their business deals almost entirely with drug trade."

Ryo sucked in a quick breath. The clans had built a lifestyle upon business of a less than legal nature. Weapons, gambling, and prostitution were one thing... hard drugs were an entirely different game, only very few families were willing to dabble in, and none of them respectable.

"We've been aware of them for a few months but only recently have they made moves that I've determined an actual threat. Last week one of their people was here in Osaka. Ninomiya Kazunari, he was reportedly trying to arrange some meetings with local clan heads."

And now Ryo could hear the cold iron tang of anger beneath his father's calm demeanor. A drug ring moving into their home ground was something they wanted to avoid at all costs. It wasn't good for business and it wasn't good for the neighborhood. Ryo was proud to be part of a family that considered itself a pillar of the local community, and he knew they would do whatever they could to protect that stability.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I'll be working on consolidating our power here. I need you in Tokyo, I want you to gather information. We need to have as complete a picture as possible about who these people are, what they want, and what their long-term plans are. Take Yokoyama, Murakami, and Maruyama with you.

The older man pushed a half-inch of file across the desk for Ryo to take. "Here is all of the information I have. See what else you can get." He met Ryo's eyes and let a corner of his mouth turn up ever so slightly, "Make a move if you have to. I trust your discretion."

Ryo could hear the dismissal in his words, he nodded again and stood to leave. He was a step from the door when his father spoke up again.

"Ryo."

He turned to look at his father once more, a sudden sinking feeling tingling in his chest.

"I want you to meet and talk to some people in Tokyo. You know who I'm talking about. I don't want you trying to handle this one all by yourself."

Ryo nodded again, managing to keep his expression deliberately neutral. He was getting good at this. He turned again at the door bowing low, "Goodnight, father. I'll be in touch."

Safely on their way back to Ryo's rooms, Yoko could no longer contain his low chuckle of amusement. Alone with his most trusted retainers, Ryo finally let himself react naturally. " _What_ ", he snapped. "What is so funny about a god-damned drug ring?"

Yoko blinked, trying (and failing) to look innocent. "Absolutely nothing, Ryo-chan. No, what I find really entertaining is your father, the Nishikido Oyabun**, shipping you off to Tokyo, trying to play matchmaker."

Ryo hissed his irritation as Yoko chuckled harder, Murakami joined in this time. He wondered if it was possible to give the two of them the boot and start over with less irritating underlings.

"But seriously, Ryo..." And when Yoko said that, he meant business. For all that he spoke far more freely than Ryo might have liked for his own sanity, Yoko was frighteningly intelligent. He was also astute and an excellent judge of character, all-in-all, he was a superb strategist. Ryo flicked a look over his shoulder to see Yoko already flipping through the information in the file.

"You know we'll have to contact him. Hell, we'll probably have to meet with him. We don't want to take any chances with these guys."

Ryo sighed the sigh of the extremely put upon. "I know. I _know_ we need him. I just- he just-..." He could feel his lips turning down into a pout. Dammit, Nishikido Ryo didn't _pout_ over an old friend, ex-colleague, whatever the hell he was... "He just gets under my skin."

Yoko patted his shoulder, "I know, but you're going to have to get used to the irritation," another quirk of those pink lips and Ryo was rolling his eyes before Yoko could even finish his sentence. "I'll have Maruyama pack some topical ointment."

Ryo valiantly ignored him, "We'll leave for Tokyo first thing tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes: 
> 
> * An antiquated honorific. I have only ever heard it translated as 'young master'. Usually used for sons of powerful men, in yakuza or zaibatsu families for example. 
> 
> ** Formal term for the head of a yakuza clan. Like a title.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temptation lurks in the shadows of the mortal city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3: Nino reminisces - Kitayama sheds some light - Koyama and Shige get a lead.

Nino watched the group of men leave the restaurant, his lips twisted into a sneer. Next to him Jun sipped his drink and scoffed.

"Some powerful crime lords they are. They're not even willing to risk the displeasure of one measly syndicate. They're sniveling cowards."

Nino smirked and patted Jun's thigh, "That's why I keep you around Jun-chan, you have such a way with people." He sighed and poured himself another glass of wine, "I shouldn't be very surprised, I suppose. The Nishikido family actually throws around quite a bit of weight in this city. They have a solid power base and could be quite unpleasant to cross. I just thought that some of the other men in this city were ready for the opportunities our line of business can offer. Apparently I miscalculated."

His companion pouted and Nino shrugged, "It can't be helped right now. We'll gain more influence in Tokyo and try again. When we come back, they'll be begging for a fraction of what we offered them tonight. Now give me a kiss, I have to make an unpleasant phone call to Sho." Jun's eyes lit up with wicked glee and he leaned in closer to give Nino a wet and wicked kiss that was almost good enough to make him forget his failure. Almost.

A few minutes and one scandalized busboy later he pushed Jun away, ignoring the younger man's pout, and dialed his phone.

"Nino, how did it go?" Sho didn't mince his words.

"It's a no-go for now. I just finished my last meeting, all three groups made it clear that they are too chickenshit to make a deal right now."

Nino could empathize with the irritated sigh on the other end of the line, "Was it-"

"Yeah, just like we feared... somehow the Nishikido family found out we were coming and flexed their muscles. They've got the whole town scared. For now."

Sho's tone turned thoughtful and Nino could practically hear those intelligent gears turning, "Right, we'll expand the market in Tokyo. Wait until we can get Sunshine in mass production and out on the streets, we'll make some more allies here and move on Osaka again from a position of greater strength."

"My thoughts exactly, boss."

"Good. Did you make a good impression?" Nino grinned at Sho's attempt to sound nonchalant, "How did Jun do?"

He couldn't help but laugh, "I probably could have sealed at least two of the deals if I could have included Jun-chan in the contract."

It was mostly a joke, but even over the phone he heard Sho's voice go still and cold, "Not a chance, Nino. You know I take care of my people."

He did know, it was one of the reasons Sho commanded such fierce loyalty, "We love you too, Sho-chan. Gotta go!"

"I'll see you _and Jun_ back in Tokyo tomorrow. I want you here for a proper debriefing."

"Ooooh, sounds like fun."

He hung up before Sho could get the last word and at Jun's questioning eyebrow motioned for the other man to refill his glass. If Jun looked perfectly at home lounging in the best booth in one of the city's most expensive restaurants, wearing a sleek Italian suit with a polished smile, it was because he was. Jun was a child of privilege, the son of a dirty businessman turned dirtier politician. He took his posh surroundings and expensive clothing, his cool and perfect beauty for granted.

It had been Nino who found him. Back at the beginning, when it was just him and Sho, when their business was only a glimmer of a plan, when all they had were his wiles and Sho's skills. He just happened to be at the right club doing research on the clientele when he saw Jun. He was lovely: a flawless face, perfect body, impeccably dressed; he was surrounded by a crowd of people almost as beautiful as he was, (and just as well dressed) and he looked bored beyond belief.

It could have been a huge disaster but his instincts were usually very good so he rolled with them. He strolled right up to the glittering group's table, ignoring everyone else and smirked right at the lovely ring-leader, "Hey, beautiful. You look bored to tears. Why don't you buy me a drink and we can have a real conversation." Here he was, obviously a commoner in clothes barely trendy enough to pass in this club, rolling right up to the classiest group there. The guy's friends were instantly up in arms at his presumption but Nino could see the flash in those dark eyes. The kid _was_ bored and Nino was distracting.

A private booth and one bottle of ludicrously expensive champagne later, Nino knew more or less Jun's whole story. He had read the kid exactly right. He ruled his crowd of acquaintances, he had an apprenticeship at one of his father's companies but he didn't really do any work. Jun was smart, well-bred, wealthy, and looking for some excitement in his life. Nino had a great deal of confidence in his own ability to be exciting.

He was not at all surprised to find himself behind the dark tinted windows of Jun's private car that same night. The beautiful young man was down on his knees with his perfect lips wrapped around Nino's cock. Nino tightened his fingers in Jun's silky hair, the other boy groaned and Nino smiled a shark's smile; a kid like this, someone who always got his way usually really got off on being ordered around. He had been right about that too.

He knew that night that he had to introduce the kid to Sho. It was his instincts at work again and they didn't fail him. He watched Jun fall in love with Sho the instant he met him; Nino couldn't blame him, Sho had an almost hypnotic effect on people. Later, when they were all a sweaty tangle of limbs and cool sheets, Sho explained to Jun exactly what it was they hoped to do. To his (and Nino's) credit, Jun hadn't so much as blinked, he simply told Sho that he would help him with whatever he needed. And just like that, they had the money. They had doors opening for them all over town and some top notch facilities, they had resources they never imagined.

Of course Matsumoto-san knew what was going on. He never did or said anything that could be construed as acknowledging his son's "hobby" but he expressed a certain amount of satisfaction that Jun found something that held his interest, something that wasn't entirely incompatible with some aspects of his own back-room business interests. 

Though Jun had been with them for a while, this was one of the first official business ventures Sho would let him participate in. Jun was the group baby and they all treated him a bit like a princess. Which he loved, of course, but Nino could tell he was getting a little antsy. He managed to talk Sho into letting Jun accompany him to Osaka. He grinned, recalling the naked desire on some of those sleazy yakuza's faces; Jun had certainly made an impression.

Jun arched an eyebrow at him, "For someone who failed to make any deals, you look awfully pleased with yourself."

"It's because I'm looking at you, baby." Jun preened under the praise and Nino leaned in indecently close to whisper huskily into Jun's ear, "Let's see how expensive a bottle of wine I have to buy to get the management to overlook me screwing you right here in this plush booth."

Jun's eyes lit up and he was already sliding his hand down to Nino's zipper, lowering his head down to Nino's lap... oh yes, Jun fit in very well indeed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Koyama was on the phone with an old co-worker of his who was still on the police force. He thought this Nakamaru guy might have a good idea of where they might start looking for one particular club in the whole of the gilded commercial machine that was Ginza. Kato listened shamelessly to Koyama's half of the conversation while he looked over their notes.

_Well that sounds promising._

[........]

_Don't worry, I'm great with kids._

[........] 

Kato noted a smile and a small chuckle from his partner, must be something promising indeed.

_Especially bratty, delinquent kids._

[........]

_Yes, if this pans out I owe you one._

[........]

_Of course I'll be careful! Shige and I are always careful. Mmmm-hmm, Tell Koki-kun I said 'hi'._

Koyama hung up the phone and turned to him with a grin. "So, Shige... ready to go bully some high-school kids?"

Apparently, their 'great lead' was a group of high-schoolers. A few hours later they were headed for the park that Nakamaru claimed was the kids' favorite haunt. Kato had been ready to go as soon as Koyama had hung up the phone but his partner had assured him that the people they were going to talk to 'wouldn't be up and about yet'. What kind of kids weren't awake at eleven o'clock in the morning?

They found them in the very first place Nakamaru told them to look. The group of kids was lounging around the lip of a stone fountain, more like a pack really, draped all over each other like sleepy lions. It took none of their detective skills to locate them, they weren't trying to blend in at all. Quite the opposite actually. They were a dizzying collage of textures and bright, bright colors: all baggy jeans, hooded sweatshirts, and an impressive array of sparkly bangles. He had never known that many variations of mesh clothing existed and he was sure that none of these boys had ever met a Day-Glo shade he didn't like.

Now that he could get a closer look, Kato could see that they were somewhat older than he had originally guessed. A few of them even looked to be around his age and they didn't seem happy to see them. Koyama was undaunted by the half-hearted glares introduced them cheerfully as "friends of Nakamaru's".

One of them regarded them with an impressive head tilt and arched brow, "You're cops? What do you want with us? Whatever it was, you can't prove anything."

The boy whose head was in his lap chuckled but didn't deign to open his eyes. He yawned and added, "We don't have anything to say to cops. We're just club kids."

He wasn't surprised that they were reluctant to talk to them. He figured if they were heavily involved in the club scene they probably dabbled in a few illegal substances. Probably pot, maybe some E at raves. At any rate, they weren't exactly what most adults would consider productive members of society. Kato had just opened his mouth to inform them that that was _precisely_ the reason he and Koyama had come to talk to them when one of the kids spoke up, "It's ok, Hiromi. I know them. We go way back." He pushed his hood back and Kato could feel his eyes go wide.

"Yokoo?! I haven't seen you since grade school!"

Koyama predictably, squealed with delight and started yammering about how long it had been and when had Yokoo moved back to Tokyo? Kato rolled his eyes a bit and Yokoo smiled. "And I don't think they're cops, Taipi." Yokoo turned to address the arrogant looking kid who had spoken first.

"No, we're not. We're private investigators and we really only need to ask you a few questions. Our case has nothing to do with you."

One of the younger looking kids, his dark hair falling in his eyes, smirked up at Kato, "Then how can we possibly have any answers you want?"

The ringleader reached out and whapped the kid on the head then hauled himself upright, regarding them impassively. Maybe it was Yokoo's endorsement or maybe he figured if he talked to them they would go away and he could go back to his nap. Whatever his thought process, he just nodded firmly, "Ask away. I don't know if we'll be able to help you, but we'll try." The boy Yokoo had addressed as 'Taipi' glared at them but the rest of the group seemed to fall in line behind their leader.

Koyama pulled a picture of Taguchi put of his pocket and the kids passed it around, "Do you recognize this man?"

Most of them nodded, one of them piped up immediately, his eyes bright and his voice chirpy, "Yes! That's Junno, right?"

"His name is Taguchi Junnosuke. Can you tell me how you know him?"

"He goes to some of the same raves as us! He's an _amazing_ dancer!"

Kato furrowed his brow, raves didn't exactly fit into the information they were given. The kind of club they were looking for did not exactly cater to the rave crowd. "Was he into any drugs that you were aware of?"

All of the kids clammed up and looked right at their leader who sighed and answered for them, "No. We know Junno. Like Senga said, we went to the same dance clubs. But he was always clean. Really clean. Not that there weren't chances to score stuff where we go."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... everybody knows that if you want to get your hands on some weed... or E or acid or something, that Ohno is the person to see. He spends a lot of time at the dance clubs."

"Ohno, is that the only name you have for him?"

The leader nodded just as a tall, pretty blond with liberally purple streaked hair spoke up, "Ohno's alright, but he runs with a dangerous crowd".

"Dangerous how?"

The kid flicks his eyes over to the leader who nods slightly and he elaborates, "He has some dangerous friends, they're way beyond the typical college scene. You know, expensive suits and shiny smiles... everyone we know, everyone who's smart anyway, knows to pretty much keep their distance from Ohno when his friends are around."

"One of his slick friends tried to pick up Tama-chan once," the cocky one gestures to the blond "He was chatting him up, trying to get him to come out with him to one of the other clubs.

Kato felt that thrill he got low in his stomach when he just _knew_ they were on to something. "One of the higher class clubs? Do you remember the name?" 

The blond kid blushed under Kato's intense gaze and one of his friends tightened an arm protectively around his shoulders, "Yeah, it was in Ginza... I'm pretty sure he said it was called 'The Angel's Den'. Not really our scene.

Kato took in the array of rainbow striped jelly bracelets, glittery lip gloss, artfully ripped shirt, and colorfully streaked hair... that was an understatement.

The leader caught their eyes and his expression was deadly serious, "I really hope that Junno-kun didn't get mixed up with those guys."

"But if he did, you should be careful," Yokoo added.

"We will be", Koyama answered him softly before smiling at the rest of the group, "Thank you all very much, you've been a big help. Try to stay out of trouble!"

The first one to speak rolled his eyes, "Sure, Mom."

When they were walking away Kato was sure he heard the same kid mutter something that sounded like 'wouldn't know a good time if it hit him in the face'. He stopped suddenly and turned back, ignoring Koyama's curious look. He let his confusion show on his face and addressed the group as a whole, "It's clear that these places can be dangerous. I'm sure you guys catch a certain amount of flack for your lifestyle. What is it about all this," his gesture encompassed the lot of them, their hair, their clothes, the jewelry, the mindset, "that attracts you?"

'Taipi''s smile was as bright as the neon stars on his shirt, he had no problems getting right up into Kato's face. "Have you ever been somewhere where you felt like you could just lose yourself? The pulse of the music, the flash of lights and color, the press of bodies against yours... it's not just a club. If you do it right, you cease to exist as an individual, you just become part of the dance. It's like you're on stage but everyone is performing. It's downright euphoric. Have you ever experienced euphoria, detective-san?"

Kato shook his head and replied honestly, "Not like that, no."

He nodded his goodbye to Yokoo and as they left the park he couldn't help but think about it. Was there something he was missing? But here and now they had a name and a club that sounded very much like the one they were looking for. Kato gave his partner a once over and thought about the clothes in their closets. If they were going to party with angels, they would need some fancier clothes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temptation lurks in the shadows of the mortal city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4: Kame wracks his brains, Ueda blames his datebook, Nishikido keeps his appointment.

Kamenashi Kazuya rubbed his fingers in circles over his temples in a futile attempt to relieve the headache that had been building up all week. It had been a long day, a long several days if he was going to be honest, but this was the day he lost one of the informants he was counting on for a solid lead. 

The guy ran one of the more reputable brothels in Roppongi and Kame had been leaning on him for weeks. He knew that several of Ohtori-san’s girls were in trouble and the man had made it clear that he had done some investigating of his own and was finally ready to talk. But when Kame had contacted him to set up an official meeting…nothing. He was gone, left the city or gone to ground, or maybe they would find his body in the bay next month. Ohtori’s second in command was running the business in his absence and was scared silent. Arashi must have gotten to him first. 

Kame heaved a sigh and, despite the hour, started going through the case file yet again just in case he had missed something, although he never did. The case was officially named ‘The Gathering Storm’; people around the precinct who had cause to mention it usually called the whole mess ‘storm’ for short. They had been tracking this fledgling drug cartel for months, more than a year now actually, and Kame has been on the case since its inception.

He shuffled through his papers, glaring at the familiar faces of their most likely suspects, as if he could make their pictures talk. He knew them so well, though he had never had any kind of contact with them in person. They had the fewest pictures of Sakurai Sho. He only occasionally joined his comrades on their evening excursions. They had by far the most of Sakurai’s charismatic right-hand man Aiba… and Matsumoto, the goddamned Finance Minister’s son. It was so frustrating; they were very visible if you knew where to look. He flipped through picture after picture of the men in various bars and restaurants, talking and laughing with rock stars and politicians and hordes of lovely young women. They were right there. And completely untouchable. 

They were incredibly shrewd and Kame knew he would never get them on a stupid mistake. If he could get this case wrapped up, if he could just bring Arashi down it would make his career. He would probably be promoted to Senior Detective and get his pick of cases. And put an incredibly dangerous group of men behind bars, getting some life-threatening chemicals off the streets in the process, of course. 

He was so tired. He just needed one break. Like Koichi-san had gotten. He had studied the files on the Ueda-family murders so many times he could quote portions of the depositions. Years ago, when his mentor, Domoto Koichi, and his partner, Domoto Tsuyoshi, (no relation), were regular Junior Detectives just like him, they were told to look into a series of particularly vicious attacks and subsequent murders plaguing a very old and well-established yakuza family. It had been notable that the crimes were violent and public enough to attract the law. Families like the Ueda clan usually policed their own, but it seemed like someone was trying to take the organization from the inside. 

The Domotos had had no luck cracking the unspoken code of silence the family was maintaining. Until one day out of the blue, they got call from a witness Koichi-san had been trying to reach for questioning for weeks; Ueda Tatsuya the only son of the clan’s head and heir to the family business. He was just about Kame’s own age, only fifteen, and his father had informed them that there was no problem worthy of police involvement and under no circumstances would they be speaking to his son. 

A few weeks later, Ueda Iichiro’s body was discovered in a grimy alley, nearly ripped apart by multiple stab wounds, and his son was requesting a meeting. 

It had been a dirty business all around, Koichi-san had told him. 

_“You see, Kame-kun, Ueda-san’s brother-in-law had been pushing him for years to take the family in directions that Ueda had avoided on principle, mostly hard drugs and human trafficking, the particularly nasty variety. It seems his wife’s brother had contacts with some groups in Singapore and was eager to make a name for himself, but Ueda had shut him down at every turn. Can you imagine it? Years of playing second fiddle, having your opinions dismissed out of hand… and then the boss has a son and names the kid the heir to the family. Not you, you don’t even get to be the custodian of the title if the kid inherits too young. No, that honor goes to your sister. That must have stung. Something like that might have pushed anyone to a breaking point, and they say that Iida-san was a fairly violent man to begin with.”_

_“But Koichi-san, if it was all so obvious, why did you have such a hard time getting the proof you needed to bring the guy down?”_

_“Kame-kun, you will come to learn that when you’re dealing with these kinds of cases, the answers might be clear but they’re not easy to prove. These kinds of guys? They may be animals, but they are _cunning_. They don’t get to be where they are by being stupid or careless. Iida was very intelligent; he covered his tracks very well. If it wasn’t for Ueda-kun, it’s likely he would have gotten away with it. He had all of his bases covered. He was going to kill the kid next and pin the whole mess on his sister.” _

_“But Ueda-kun found out.”_

_“Ueda-kun had spent months stockpiling evidence of his uncle’s side deals, machinations, and plans to take the family by force. He was well aware when his father was killed that his days were numbered.”_

_“So he just gave you the testimony you needed? I don’t remember hearing anything in the news about him connected to the trial.”_

_“Somewhat to our chagrin, the kid was brilliant. He made us a deal. He would provide all of the hard evidence we needed: photographs, surveillance videos, and enough recorded conversations to prove Iida’s involvement beyond a doubt. But he refused to be personally connected to the trial, no one who wasn’t directly connected with the case could know.”_

_Kame could tell that Koichi-san had been thoroughly impressed by Ueda-kun, he spoke of the boy with a sense of fond irritation._

_“He even went one better, he brokered a deal on behalf of the whole family. He made us promise that in exchange for the information that we wouldn’t attempt to pursue any of the family’s regular business. Of course, he promised that as the rightful clan head he would assure that the family stayed within the bounds of behavior that the law is willing to overlook.”_

_“That’s not right, Koichi-san! Yakuza shouldn’t be protected like that! All criminals should be punished regardless of the degree to which they are breaking the law.”_

_“Unfortunately, Kame-kun, sometimes you have to be willing to let some minor transgressions go to prevent the major ones, the ones that end up with blood in the streets.”_

_“So Ueda-kun… is he the clan head right now?”_

_“Yes, he is. He took the family back with no problem at all from what we could see, for all that he was only a kid at the time. I asked him once if he was sure that’s what he wanted, he could have done anything. He gave me the nastiest glare, like I just told him I thought he spent his free time torturing puppies or something… what did he say…”_

_Koichi had leveled an impressively cold look at him and continued in a stern voice, “'And overturn decades of honor and tradition, forsaking my duties and my birthright? I don’t think so.'_

_“Kid had balls of steel; condemned his uncle, buried his father, and took the reins without batting an eye. The Ueda family hasn’t given us any problems since then and a monster is behind bars. I am confident that we made the right choice.”_

_“I still think believe there must be a way to eliminate crime without making compromises.”_

_“That’s cute kid, you be sure to tell me as soon as you figure it out, ok?”_

And with that the case had been well on its way to being solved. It was a media circus and the public just ate it up: the gory details, the intrepid young detectives, the damning evidence, all of it. The Domotos’ star rose, they had some of the most impressive cases-solved statistics in their district. 

Kame had no doubt whatsoever that the men in Arashi were monsters. Right now, a little flexing of his ethical boundaries was looking very tempting… if only he had an Ueda Tatsuya of his own. 

Kame glanced at the clock and winced at the time, he couldn’t check in with Nakamaru for a few hours yet… there had to be something he wasn’t seeing. He headed down the hall to brew another pot of coffee; he had a long night ahead of him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He frowned at his organizer but the page remained unchanged. He glared harder, narrowing his eyes in his patented frigid stare, the one he busted out for especially difficult negotiations. The page still resolutely informed him that is was Friday and that he had an important appointment this evening. 

Maybe if he chucked the damn thing in the fire…he would lose his entire month’s schedule and Yamashita would give him one of those ‘I’m very disappointed in you’ looks and a new organizer would turn up on his desk within hours and the appointment would _still_ be penciled in for today. 

It was only a meeting; he had no reason to be nervous. He had been single-handedly running his organization for a decade, a simple meeting to trade information should be something he could do in his sleep. Maybe he could send Yamashita instead? Sure, and then he could go curl up under the covers of his bed with a flashlight like he did when he was five and scared of the monsters in his closet. He would never hear the end of it, that idiot would have ammunition for years if he wimped out on this. 

21:00 – Nishikido group. If only the elder Nishikido was the one coming. They hadn’t always seen eye-to-eye on everything but he and Nishikido-san respected each other; the man had been willing to deal with him even when he was young and untried. He had given Ueda a chance to prove himself. But he had heard that Nishikido had personally dispatched his son to Tokyo, the old man was probably having a good chuckle at their expense knowing full well that Ryo would be just as displeased with this as he was. 

Ueda ignored the twist in his gut that he still got every time he thought about Ryo. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen him over the past seven years; there had been plenty of functions that threw them together. There was at least one major meeting once a year, they saw each other and they talked. Sort of. 

He and Ryo had just about risen the trading of insults to a delicate art form by this point. But that still counted as talking, even though he was pretty sure that one of the only reasons they didn’t completely avoid each other was because if they did then they would have to admit that there was a reason they were avoiding each other and that there was a problem to be resolved and that they still had a relationship of the degree of importance that it could be damaged by a problem that he wasn’t willing to acknowledge. At least not outside of the confines of his own head, no matter how many glacier-sized hints Yamapi dropped. 

It had been years ago, they had still been young; he was sure the impact should have faded by now. But it hadn’t. Not the attachment or the disappointment or the hurt. 

“He’s your closest friend, Tatsuya-san.” 

Ueda just dropped his head down onto his open organizer. He knew if he looked up he would be faced with one of Yamashita’s ‘It’s ok to open up and talk about your feelings’ looks. Yamashita was good at those, just like he was good at everything else. The damned mind reader. If he weren’t so damned indispensable, Ueda would have shipped him off to supervise some other branch of the family years ago. But he was Ueda’s most valuable man and they both knew it, plus Ueda needed him around to keep Akanishi on task. 

“He used to be my closest friend. I know you know the story, Yamashita. Now he is nothing more than a colleague with whom I occasionally have to have uncomfortable meetings.” 

Yamashita made his way over to the desk and deposited the cup of tea he was holding. He leaned against the edge and patted Ueda on the head, one of the only people who could do so without losing a hand. Sometimes Yamashita liked to flaunt his power, Ueda made a mental note to do something about that. “If he was only a colleague you wouldn’t be so upset right now.” 

Ueda resisted the urge to pout into his planner, “What makes you think I’m upset?” 

He could hear the warm chuckle behind Yamashita’s words, “You’ve been hiding in your study for days, you’ve asked me three times in as many hours what I think you should wear, you won’t even let Jin give you a backrub which is practically one of the only useful things he does around here. So, you know, no reason.” 

“I’m sure Akanishi has more inherent value than strong hands.” 

“True. He also makes you smile. And he looks good in a suit. And he translates American rap music for me. But that’s getting a bit off-topic and you are avoiding the issue, Tatsuya-san.” 

He pulled himself up off of his desk with a groan and took a sip of the tea, which was perfect of course, before finally looking up at Yamashita with a helpless expression very few people ever witnessed. “So what _do_ you think I should wear?” 

His second’s eyes sparkled, “That depends, do you want him to think you look very good, or do you want to be as unappealing as possible?” 

Ueda narrowed his eyes, “You are very lucky you are good at your job, Yamashita.” 

“I’ve already had a suit laid out for you upstairs. You should just relax, the meeting will go fine.” Yamashita paused at the door to give him one last, searching look. “And Tat-chan?” 

“Yes, Yamapi?” 

“Give yourself a chance to forgive him… and yourself. I don’t think you’ll regret it.” 

Before he could respond to that gem, Yamashita whisked himself out of chucking-things-range and off to complete the evening’s arrangements. 

A few far-too-brief hours later, he was once again in his study, contemplating his reflection. It had been over nine years since he had become the head of the Ueda-clan, nearly eight years since he and Ryo were- well, since he and Ryo were really anything special. At twenty-five he felt like he finally looked grown-up. He looked equal to his responsibilities and the power he wielded. He smoothed a hand down the lines of his lapel, now if only he felt as good as he looked…

“Hello, donkey-face. Preening for your adoring public?” 

He resisted the urge to jump like a guilty schoolboy and glare into the mirror, knowing that Ryo could probably see it. He kept his face serene and his voice light, “Just making sure I look like the successful clan leader we both know I am, blockhead.” 

He did let his eyes slip to the side to catch a glimpse of Ryo in the mirror, the other man was leaning indolently against the doorframe with his arms crossed and that damned, self-satisfied smirk plastered across his face. Ueda hated that smirk, it was one of the least genuine expressions Ryo had. But damn, Ryo had grown-up too since the last time Ueda had seen him. He knew that Nishikido-san had all but turned the family over to his son and the responsibility seemed to suit Ryo. He looked comfortable and confident standing there in his doorway, he looked so good. 

“You’re early, dunderhead. Was the commuter train from Osaka running ahead of schedule?” 

“Well, fish-lips, my father always told me that if you are going to be on time you might as well be early.” Ueda felt a sharp pang, remembering his own father telling him much the same thing in his youth. He nearly missed when Ryo added too casually, “ It’s good to see you.”

Ueda turned around, his hands stuck in his pockets to keep from fidgeting as Ryo stepped into the room and took a look around. 

“I remember when this was your father’s study. You’ve changed it quite a bit.” 

“I updated the furnishings and decoration a bit, that’s all.” 

Ryo turned from where he was trailing his fingers along the frame of a black and white photograph of a snow-covered tree, “It looks nice; it looks like you.” 

He was tired and stressed and he had no idea what game Ryo was playing at. Time to cut to the chase, “What do you want, Nishikido?” 

Ryo had never been the patient type and it seemed like he was just about at the end of his notoriously short rope. He narrowed his eyes and shot back, “Maybe I just didn’t want the first time we’ve really spoken in over a year to be in front of a roomful of people, _Ueda-san_.” 

It was possible that Ryo was just as shaken up by this meeting as he was. Slightly reassured, Ueda rolled his eyes and sauntered out of his study and down the hall, confident that Ryo would follow him. He did of course, striding to catch up and falling into step shoulder-to-shoulder with Ueda. It felt frighteningly natural. 

“Well excuse me, dimwit, I never took you for the shrinking-violet type. Vio _lent_ maybe…” 

“Look, toad-breath, I just wanted to give you a chance to adjust to my awesomeness so you didn’t embarrass yourself in public.” 

Ueda actually had to tamp down a chuckle at that one. He really ought to be very worried right about now but somehow he was having a hard time mustering up any of his earlier panic. 

Their bickering carried them down the corridors right up to the doors to the meeting room where their people awaited them. Ueda was reaching out for the handle when Ryo grabbed his arm, pulling him around so they stood facing each other. Ryo’s gaze was intense and Ueda was a little startled by the sudden shift in mood. 

“When I said I was happy to see you again, I meant it. I didn’t know how much I meant it until it came out of my mouth, but it’s true. I missed this.” 

“You didn’t say you were happy to see me,” he heard himself reply softly, “you said ‘It’s good to see you’. Not the same thing.” Ueda had to remind himself to breathe. Just because he and Ryo were only centimeters apart, just because Ryo had just indicated something that maybe meant that he might possibly still care about him…that didn’t mean he could just fall apart. He cocked an eyebrow, “You missed us sniping at each other in hallways, Nishikido?” 

He saw disappointment flash in Ryo’s eyes and his traitorous heart skipped a beat. “I meant I missed talking to you at all, sniping or otherwise.” Ryo closed his eyes for a moment and took a breath like he was steeling himself for a blow, “I missed _you_ , Tatsuya.” 

That was as good an admission as he was ever likely to get from Ryo. He blinked a few times, trying to process the information. Over the years he had thought about so many different ways this could go, but this simple confession never once crossed his mind. He let his expression go soft as Ryo opened his eyes. “I- I mean… me too, Ryo.” He shook his head, trying to clear away the fuzz caused by the fact that Ryo was _smiling_ at him. “But your timing leaves something to be desired. We have a meeting to run, we’re going to have to talk about this later.” 

Ryo’s smile was satisfied again, but it wasn’t a smirk. “Right, later. We’ll talk.” His voice was husky and low, it sounded like a promise. 

Ueda pushed open the door and they strode in, still shoulder-to-shoulder, taking their places. Ueda greeted the assembly, “Welcome, gentlemen. This meeting will be an information sharing session, in light of the mutual benefits to both of our organizations, I hope there will be full disclosure on the subject from all parties.” 

He swept his gaze around the table, satisfied by the nods and murmurs of agreement from all sides. Ryo caught his eyes last and held them a second, giving him a small, fierce grin that set Ueda’s heart racing. He tried to ignore it. 

He leaned forward, placing his hands on the table and command in his tone, addressing the first member of Nishikido’s group, “Now, let’s start at the very beginning. Yokoyama-san, tell us what you know about Arashi.”

**Author's Note:**

> At the time I started this I tended to write mostly happy, fluffy get togethers and PWPs. I wanted to branch out and write something edgy and dark. 
> 
> I haven't worked on this story for years. I do more chapters planned out but unless a bunch of people are clamoring for more (unlikely, I'm sure!) it will stay unfinished.


End file.
